Hogan's Heroes:The Bride,the Groom,and the Gestapo
by spookysister7
Summary: Klink finds an injured woman on the road and takes her to Stalag 13, not realizing she has secrets. Will she be Klink's last mistake? Will Hogan and Co uncover the truth in time? Klink/OFC
1. Because I could not stop for Death

Hogan's Heroes: The Bride, the Groom, and the Gestapo

Summary: Klink finds an injured woman on the road and takes her to Stalag 13, not realizing she has secrets. Will she be Klink's last mistake? Will Hogan uncover the truth in time?

AN: Spoken German will be in _italics _but written in English. Occasionally I will use German words. Those will not be in italics. I do not speak German and only a little French, so please bear with me. Thank you. Chapter titles are from Emily Dickinson's poem 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'.

**Chapter 1: Because I could not stop for Death…**

She ran through the dark woods, the icy path littered with frozen leaves threatening to send her sprawling with every step. Her tattered clothing offered little protection for the bitter autumn night, icy rain falling steadily from the bare branches overhead. She couldn't feel her feet, bare and bloody, torn by rocks and twigs as she ran and ran.

She could not stop. They could not be far behind, their black uniforms glimpsed by grinning skulls glinting in the light of the crescent moon.

And yet, she could not keep going. Pain had long since been left behind, but the creeping numbness was no longer helpful. Rather, it pulled the strength from her; her legs barely under her control.

She fell.

Icy mud cradled her as she laid there, her frame shuddering with exhaustion and the deeply biting cold. It was too late. They were upon her. The focused golden rays cut through the silver moonlight, unmistakably growing closer with alarming speed.

She fought it still, rising to her knees and glaring at the two eyes glowing in the darkness.

They would not find her weak. They would not have that satisfaction. She would fight, like her brother had.

They would not win.

There was a shriek, like the defiance she held inside had found a way to escape despite her lack of breath.

The lights froze and seemed to dim.

She felt more than heard the low thrum, familiar and yet not, her ears cottoned by her own heartbeat.

The silhouette of a soldier, two soldiers, blocked out some of the light. One was as thin as he was tall, the other still tall but wide. They seemed to loom larger as they stepped towards her, as terrifying as shadows come to life.

She tried not to be afraid but her body betrayed her, leaving with what little strength her defiance had provided. Like a film clip slowed down to half pace, she collapsed back into the mud, her eyes locked on the men.

They kneeled next to her, as dark and faceless as Death.

"Fraulein?" the larger shadow asked, reaching towards her with a huge hand. She wanted to flinch away, wanted to run screaming, but it was all she could do to keep her eyes open.

"Was ist das?" the thinner man muttered, turning towards his companion. Something glinted near his eye, reflecting the moonlight and sending it bouncing like a fairy through the mud.

Her eyes followed the light, wishing she was a fairy like in the stories she had loved as a child. So tiny and light, with wings that could fly her far, far away from Germany.

Her eyes closed. She would not fight them any longer, though she did fight the darkness. No need to give in all at once.

She was lifted, carried gently towards the light, the smell of Apfelstrudel disconcertingly wafting up from the uniform of the soldier carrying her.

They laid her in a car, the thinner man sitting next to her. Standing guard. The car rocked to the right as the larger man sat in the driver's seat, the thrum of the engine rising in pitch as they started to move.

"_Should we turn around?_" the driver asked.

"_Yes. She will need a doctor. The hospital in town should…"_ the thinner man replied, his voice quiet as his hand firmly clasped her shoulder, keeping her on the seat.

Her heart skipped a beat. They were not the ones looking for her, then, or they would not have taken her to the hospital.

"Nein," she managed, her voice barely audible.

"Was?" the thinner man asked, his hand shifting as he leaned down.

She looked up at him, her eyes cracked just enough to see.

"_Please, no hospital,"_ she begged, wondering if he would listen. If they took her to the hospital, they would find her for sure.

"_But, but why?"_ the man stuttered, straightening his monocle, "_You are injured!"_

"_Please,"_ she begged again, _"I'm afraid."_

He looked at her, his expression lost in the dimness. Finally, he nodded.

"_Very well. Take us home," _he ordered, looking up at the driver.

"Jawohl," the driver responded quietly.

That was when she finally stopped fighting.


	2. He kindly stopped for me

**Chapter 2: He kindly stopped for me**

Hogan and his men were not surprised when Klink pulled into the camp late that night.

They were surprised when Schultz pulled a limp body from the back, Klink's strident voice echoing unintelligibly across the compound as he followed the sergeant into his quarters.

"Who the bloody hell was that?" Newkirk asked, glancing over at LeBeau and Carter.

As if in answer to their question, Schultz came scurrying back out of Klink's quarters towards Barracks 2, where Hogan and company stood waiting. He entered the door with the heavy wheeze of a man unused to hurry and took their curious and wide-awake condition in stride.

"Colonel Hogan, please report to the Kommandant immediately. And bring the medic, Wilson, with you," Schultz huffed, hands on his knees.

"Is someone hurt?" Carter asked, worrying his hat as Hogan pulled on his jacket and moved towards Wilson's bunk.

"A woman!" Schultz confided, shaking his head in disbelief, "I almost ran her over! She was lying on the side of the road, all covered in mud."

They all started talking at once.

"Quiet down!" Hogan ordered, Wilson trailing behind him as he pulled on his jacket and picked up the black bag that held his scant medical supplies.

"But mon Colonel, it is freezing tonight! If she is cold and wet, she will need dry clothes, n'est-ce pas?" LeBeau asked, bouncing on his toes.

"Yeah, and how will we explain where we got women's clothing?" Hogan asked sarcastically, glancing over at Schultz to verify that, as usual, he heard nothing.

LeBeau muttered under his breath and Hogan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry; I'm sure I can talk Klink into giving you some material to make her some clothes. That is, if she sticks around for long enough."

With that, Hogan, Wilson and Schultz left the barracks, heading towards Klink's quarters.

"Took you long enough," Klink grumbled when he opened the door, gesturing impatiently for them to enter.

"She's in my room," he said, striding past them as they made their way back to his small bedroom. He stood by the bed, looking unsure of himself. The woman was wrapped in a blanket but clearly filthy.

"I'll have to clean her up before I can examine her," Wilson said, frowning as he noted her trembling, "Was she conscious at any time?"

"Yes, yes," Klink said, "In the car, she spoke."

"Lucid?"

"I think so," Klink replied, frowning.

Wilson nodded shortly.

"If I can have some privacy…" he said, rolling up his sleeves, "I will also need a towel, some clean bedding, and something for her to wear. Leave it outside the door, please," Wilson concluded, glaring as no one moved.

Hogan cleared his throat.

"Well, you heard the doctor!" he said, smiling, "Rous!"

Klink started moving with a jerk, his eyes still on the small form trembling on his bed.

"Yes, yes of course," he mumbled, gesturing towards Schultz as they shut the bedroom door behind them, "Get him whatever he needs."

"You okay, Kommandant?" Hogan asked, frowning at the distracted German.

Klink didn't respond.

In the bedroom, Wilson got to work. Picking up his charge, blanket and all, he took her into the bathroom. Thankfully she was still unconscious, and he hoped she'd stay that way until after he'd bathed and examined her. It would save a lot of embarrassment on both their parts.

Peeling back the mud-encrusted blanket, Wilson worked his way through the layers of tattered clothing. Finally, she was covered only in splotches of crimson-tinted mud. Carefully lowering her into the lukewarm tub, he washed away the strata of earth and revealed the damage underneath.

It was a testament to her injuries and exhaustion that she didn't wake at his ministrations. Though he was gentle, he still hissed in sympathetic pains as mud washed from the worst of her wounds. Carefully washing as much detritus as he could from the soles of her abused feet, he gave her one last rinse and then left her to retrieve the items he'd requested.

Opening the door, he found the three men still hovering. Colonel Hogan was the most relaxed of the three, casually leaning against the arm of Klink's couch. Schultz stood by the door, a pile of material in his arms. Klink was halfway across the room, evidently pacing, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"I need ointment and bandages," Wilson said shortly, snatching the clothing from Schultz; impatient to return before she suffered further ill effects from the damp.

"Is she…" Klink started to ask, striding towards the door as if to check for himself.

"Later," Wilson snapped, the door shutting firmly behind him.

Klink glared at the door, then at Schultz, who blinked at him, and then turned to Hogan.

"What?" Hogan asked with a shrug, "He's a medic. You know how they get with a patient. We'll just have to wait."

Wilson dropped everything but the towels on the bed and hurried back to the woman. Quickly and thoroughly drying her re-opened some of the wounds, but that couldn't be helped. At least they were not deep enough to need stitches.

Leaving the towels around her to soak up the last of the water and welling blood, Wilson tossed the mussed bedclothes in the corner and replaced them, folding down the blanket. Setting aside the long, button-down nightgown, he carried his charge to the bed.

A knock on the door indicated that Schultz had returned with the medication.

Wilson opened the door a crack, trying to preserve her modesty, and snatched the bandages and ointment from the sergeant before slamming the door shut once again.

Now properly medicated and bound, Wilson slipped her arms into the nightgown; putting it on backwards so that the back could be left open to access the bindings. Covering her shivering form with layers of blankets, he finally took a breath and looked up at her face.

He nearly fell backwards in shock.

Bright green eyes blinked tiredly at him, the eyelids barely at half-mast.

"_Who are you?"_ the woman rasped.

"_A medic,"_ Wilson said gently, trying to remember as much German as he could, _"You were hurt. I bandaged you."_

"_You are not German," _she said, no malice in her voice.

"Nein," Wilson said with a small smile, "I'm American."

"Amerikaner?"she exclaimed, her eyes widening. She tried to sit up and fell back with a gasp of pain.

"_Lay still!" _Wilson ordered. She stopped moving and looked up at him, her breath coming in short pants.

"_Where am I?"_ she whispered.

"Luft Stalag 13," he responded, "_I am a prisoner here."_

Her face paled further. She had escaped the hospital, but at what cost? Now she was in a prison, and it was only a matter of time before the Kommandant discovered who was after her… Once he knew about the wounds, it was all over.

"_Don't worry," _Wilson comforted, mistaking her anxiety, "_I will not hurt you." _There was a knock at the door and he glanced back, "_I need to report your condition to the Kommandant."_

"_You have not told him yet?"_ she asked, hope flaring in her eyes.

"Nein," he chuckled, "_I have been busy."_

"Bitte," she said, grabbing his arm in a surprisingly strong grip when he started to move, "_Don't tell him how my wounds were made, please!"_

He froze, looking down at her, his mind spinning as he connected the dots. He was so used to patching up prisoners, he'd not even thought of the implications of her wounds. Understanding dawned on his face.

"_I understand," _he said softly, _"You went for a walk and got lost in the woods. It is terrible what can happen when you fall in the forest."_

Her grip relaxed and she smiled at him thankfully.

"Danke, danke," she whispered, sinking back into the bed and releasing his arm.

"Es ist nichts," he assured her with a wink, "_I'm good at keeping secrets."_

Moving to the door, he glanced back at the sleeping woman. He'd forgotten to ask her name.


	3. The carriage held but just ourselves

**Chapter 3: The carriage held but just ourselves**

Wilson finally left the bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind him.

"So, so?" Klink asked impatiently, leaning forward so far that Hogan had to resist the urge to grab his arm to keep him from falling.

Wilson smiled tightly and slid past Klink to sit down next to Hogan on the couch. Schultz shuffled after him, looking worried.

"Well, she's resting comfortably now, but she shouldn't be moved for at least a few days."

Klink frowned and rubbed his hands together.

"Is she badly injured?" he asked.

"Not life-threateningly," Wilson answered, throwing a look at Hogan that made him lift an eyebrow in surprise. There was more to this story than was about to be told.

"Das ist gut!" Schultz said with a grin.

"Her feet got the worst of it, but I'm pretty sure I got them cleaned out. Her back was very badly scratched, probably from the fall, and there are some cuts on her chest as well," Wilson said simply.

"Fall? What fall?" Klink asked, "I said nothing about a fall!"

"She woke up for a moment, Sir," Wilson said quietly, "Though she was too exhausted to really speak. She told me she'd gotten lost in the woods and had fallen several times."

"She was awake! Did you find out her name? Where she was from? Does she have family I need to contact?" Klink asked, once again pacing.

Wilson shrugged.

"That's pretty much all I got out of her, Sir."

Klink huffed in frustration and continued to pace the room.

"I have a request, Sir," Wilson added, "I'd like one of the men I've trained to stay with her at all times."

"What? Why?" Klink asked, his voice rising in concern.

Again Wilson threw a glance at Hogan before answering.

"I'm afraid she will get pneumonia, Sir, from exposure to the elements. My men know what to watch for."

"Impossible," Klink said after thinking for a moment, "No prisoner is allowed outside of the barracks after hours. It cannot be done."

"But," Wilson started, falling silent as Hogan gripped his shoulder.

"Now, Kommandant, I'm sure we can work something out," Hogan cajoled.

"Nein. My mind is made up, Hogan," Klink stated, his eyes glinting in a way that meant Hogan had to back off this one.

"How about this," Hogan offered, "some of the men Wilson's trained take turns watching her during the day, and Wilson teaches one of your men what to look for during the night?"

"One of my men?" Klink scoffed, "I trust the prisoners more than them!"

Schultz made a low groan of protest and Klink rolled his eyes.

"Except you, Schultz. You I trust implicitly."

"Thank you, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz said, straightening proudly.

"Yes, I trust you to mess things up," Klink added, ignoring Schultz's droop, "No, Wilson, you will teach me what to look for. I will watch our guest during the night."

"You?" Wilson exclaimed, "But I…" Again, Hogan silenced him.

"Sounds like a plan!" Hogan said cheerily, "One we can enact first thing in the morning, right?" he asked Wilson.

"Yes, Sir," Wilson said meekly, "She'll be fine until morning."

"Gut!" Klink exclaimed, clapping his hands, "Colonel, you're dismissed. Schultz, get me a cot!"

Hogan and Wilson left before Klink could remember to order a guard to escort them back to the barracks.

Almost before the door shut behind them, Hogan started in on the questions.

"What's really going on?" he whispered, "And don't give me that fall story, 'cause I ain't buying."

Wilson chuckled and shook his head.

"I'd rather tell everyone at once, Colonel, if you don't mind."

Hogan gave him a hard look and then shrugged, increasing their pace.

The moment the barrack's door was opened, a thousand questions spilled out.

"Who is she?"

"A Kraut?"

"Is she pretty?"

"After duex ans in here, who cares?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, settle down!" Hogan said, raising his hands, "Let Wilson get a word in edgewise, will ya? I haven't even gotten the scoop yet!"

Wilson chuckled as they parted before him like the Red Sea, LeBeau handing him a cup of coffee as Carter pulled up a stool to the end of the table.

"Okay," Wilson said, taking a sip of the brown liquid posing as caffeine, "She is a Kraut, and she is pretty…"

"Oh, tell me more, mate," Newkirk interjected, his blue eyes dancing.

"Later," Hogan said, "What's her story? What were you hiding from our beloved Kommandant?"

Setting down the cup with a frown, Wilson sighed.

"Didn't hide much, Colonel, at least not facts. She did wake up for a minute, like I told Klink, but she just asked where she was, who I was. I explained a little and she got real pale."

"Pale, why?" Carter asked.

"I thought she was worried I was going to hurt her, enemy and all, but now I'm not so sure," Wilson said thoughtfully.

"Explain," Hogan ordered.

"Well," Wilson said, leaning forwards, "She asked me not to tell the Krauts how she got hurt."

Hogan's eyes lit up.

"How did she get hurt?" he asked.

"She was tortured," Wilson said softly and Carter gasped, "Gestapo probably."

"Zut alor!" LeBeau muttered, "Dirty Boche."

"Whip marks on her back," Wilson said, "and electrical burns on her chest. Plus…" he trailed off, looking pensive.

"What else?" Newkirk asked, the cigarette in his fingers crushed.

"A bullet graze, I think," Wilson responded softly, "Left side of her rib cage."

"Bloody hell," Newkirk cursed, "They were aiming to kill her!"

"But she escaped, right?" Carter piped up.

"Naw," Newkirk said sarcastically, "They just let her out for a little jaunt!"

"She's not out of the woods yet," Wilson interjected, "We'll need to watch out for pneumonia. And her feet are pretty bad off, so she'll need help getting around when she's strong enough."

"That's where you come in," Hogan said, "We got Klink to agree to let us keep tabs on her during the day, so let's make it count. Find out if she's underground and what the Gestapo got out of her. But do it subtle. We don't know whose side she's on yet. She could be a plant."

"A plant?" Wilson exclaimed, "They'd hurt one of their own that bad?"

Hogan smiled grimly.

"If it meant getting to Papa Bear they would."

-000-

Colonel Wilhelm Klink laid on the hard cot, staring up in the darkness, his thoughts whirling.

Who was the woman lying in his bed? Where had she come from? Had she really gotten lost in the woods? Or was she part of the underground? A spy?

Klink shook his head and scoffed. War was getting to him. He finds a woman hurt on the road and the first thing he thinks of is her political leanings! No, it must be as Wilson said. After all, he'd seen her injuries. Surely he could tell the difference between a fall and some of the less savory methods of information extraction.

His mind turned to more important matters. Was she married? Did she have a husband and children somewhere, worrying about her? He frowned and rolled to his side, staring towards the cracked door. He'd peeked in when he was finally left alone with her, just to make sure she was alright.

She was beautiful. Even in the half-light, her honey-colored hair shone. A frown had turned down her soft pink lips, her long eyelashes highlighted against her pale skin. He remembered how easily Schultz had carried her small body, and wished he could recall the exact color of her eyes. Alas, it had been too dark to tell in the car, but he would bet they were stunning.

A familiar pang of loneliness struck him and he sighed. How many times had he wished he had a woman in his bed? And now he did, but not the way he'd envisioned. But maybe… all was not lost.

Klink fisted a hand under his chin. He did rescue her. And didn't women always want to be rescued? He could be her white knight! Riding in to save her from the evil clutches of the enchanted forest. Yes, that was it! She'd certainly fall for him then.

"_If only she is single_," he prayed, "_Just this once, _bitte."


	4. And Immortality

**Chapter 4: And Immortality**

When she awoke, the medic was still with her, though the golden rays of sunlight through the cracks of the shuttered window let her know night had long since passed.

"Guten morgen," the medic said softly, "_How are you feeling?_"

"_As well as can be expected," _she responded with a small smile, wincing as she sat up in bed.

"_Move slowly," _the medic warned, "_or you'll open the wounds."_

"Danke," she muttered when he propped up the pillows and made her more comfortable. When he was satisfied that he'd done everything he could, he took a step back.

"_I'm Sergeant Joe Wilson, by the way,"_ he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"_Anna Lehrgeld,"_ she said, shaking his hand, "_Thank you for your help."_

"_Speaking of," _Wilson said, his smile falling, "_I've kept the Kommandant away as long as I could, but now that you are awake he will want to question you."_

Anna paled and took a shaky breath.

"Hey, it's okay!" Wilson comforted, "_He's not a bad guy."_

She gave him a dubious look.

"For a Kraut, I mean," Wilson said with an impish grin, patting her hand, "_Just stick to your story and you'll be fine."_

He gave her a few moments to compose herself and then went to the door.

"Kommandant, she's awake," he called, stepping back as Klink charged into the room, riding crop under his arm.

The German sputtered to a stop, his blue eyes widening as they met the woman's deep green.

"May I introduce Anna Lehrgeld," Wilson said, watching Klink with amusement, "Anna, our Kommandant, Colonel Wilhelm Klink."

"Guten tag," Anna said softly, blushing as Klink continued to stare. Finally, Wilson cleared his throat and Klink sprang back into motion.

"Oh, oh, ja, guten tag!" he said, grinning stupidly before forcing his expression into something more serious. He approached her bed and took her hand, kissing it gallantly.

Behind him, Wilson rolled his eyes.

"_I am most pleased to see you are feeling better, my dear,"_ Klink said, settling into the chair next to her bed and awkwardly leaning the riding crop against the bedside table.

"Danke, Oberst Klink," Anna said.

"_Oh, please, call me Wilhelm," _Klink said, "_We are not big on formalities here and you are our guest!"_

She smiled tightly but did not respond further, leaving Klink to shift uncomfortably.

"_Do you have anyone I need to contact? To let them know you are alright?" _he asked finally, "_A father?_ _A husband?" _

He held his breath in anticipation of the answer.

"Nein," she said softly, "_My family is gone. I have no one."_ Her voice broke and tears filled her eyes.

Klink didn't know what to do, glancing over at Wilson in panic. Wilson gestured at him to comfort her.

"_We have all lost much to this dreadful war," _Klink said compassionately, "_I am sorry for your loss."_

"Danke," Anna sniffed, blinking back her tears, "_I thank you for helping me. I fear what would have happened if you had not come across me."_

"_It is terrible what happened to you!" _Klink said, warming to the change in topic and secretly heartened by her lack of a husband, "_You got lost in the woods?"_

"Ja," Anna said, glancing over at Wilson, "_It was foolish of me to go for a walk in strange woods, I know."_

"_Strange woods?" _Klink asked, "_So you are not from Hammelburg?"_

"_Just passing through,"_ Anna answered, "_My brother…" _her voice broke again and she took a deep breath before continuing, "_was recently killed. I had no way to pay for our home, so I sold what we had and left to look for work."_

Klink and Wilson exchanged a saddened look as she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Klink handed her. Wilson could tell her brother's death was no invention and his stomach clenched at the thought of how unprotected it left her. To be a woman alone in Germany now…

Unbeknownst to him, Klink was thinking similarly. While he had at first rejoiced in the fact that she was single, now he regretted his attitude. This was no time, and certainly no place, for a woman to be on her own. If he hadn't found her, if some other man had driven down that lonely road first… Who knows what could have happened to her.

"_You are welcome to stay here as long as you would like," _Klink offered gently, waving away her attempted return of his handkerchief.

"_I couldn't do that," _Anna said immediately, "_You were very kind to bring me here, but…"_

"_You must stay," _Wilson interjected, "_At least until you are healed. There is a danger of pneumonia and I must keep watch over you until the danger passes."_

"_Then it is settled!" _Klink said when it looked like Anna was about to argue, "_You will be our guest! I can even have LeBeau make you something special to eat. What is your favorite?"_

"_Something light," _Wilson warned, "_Until you build up your strength." _It had not escaped his attention that she barely moved, and he knew it wasn't all from pain.

"_Some soup, maybe?" _she asked tentatively, looking at the medic. He nodded and Klink stood, the riding crop once again pinned under his arm.

"_It will be the best soup you have ever eaten!" _Klink promised.

"_I'm sure," _Wilson said dryly, "_But for now, you must rest. Doctor's orders. Someone will be in to check on you shortly."_

"Danke, Oberst Klink, Sergeant Wilson," Anna said, lying back.

"_Until later, my dear," _Klink said, clicking his heels as he bowed and then strode from the room. Wilson sighed, smiled and followed after him.

-000-

Colonel Hogan was her first visitor. With him came Carter, whose puppy-dog looks instantly defused the tension between the wary German woman and the officer.

"Guten tag," Hogan said politely, Carter grinning and waving behind him.

"Guten tag," Anna greeted, smiling tightly at Carter.

"Mein name ist Oberst Hogan, und das ist Sergeant Carter," Hogan introduced, sitting down. Carter remained standing behind him.

"Anna Lehrgeld," she said simply, "_What can I do for you?"_

"_Nothing," _Hogan said with a charming smile, not a bit rebuffed by her caution, "_I just wanted to introduce myself. Carter will be staying with you today, so please feel free to ask him for anything you need."_

"Danke," Anna said simply, smoothing out the sheet across her lap. After a few seconds of silence, Hogan stood.

"_Well, I'll be going. Never any rest around here!" _Hogan said with an ironic grin.

Anna nodded politely at him when he left, and then looked up at Carter, who stood around looking lost.

"_I'm sorry," _Carter said hesitantly, "_I don't speak much German, _Ma'am."

"Anna," she said, smiling at the blushing young man.

"Andrew," he said with a smile, sitting down, "I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing here. I mean, you look fine to me, beautiful even, and I have had Wilson train me before, because there was that sickness going around last winter and I…"

She held up her hands, brow furrowing.

"Langsam, bitte!" she said, shaking her head.

"Langsam? I've heard that. It means… slow! Oh, you want me to talk slow?" Carter asked, pushing his hat back.

"Slow?" she repeated carefully.

He grinned at her.

"Yeah, that's it- SLOW," he pronounced, "Like… this… is… talking… very… slow…"

"Slow," she said with a nod of approval, "Danke!"

-000-

"You did what?" Hogan snapped, stopping Carter's happy flow of words in their tracks.

"I taught her some English," Carter said, looking around at the others in confusion as Hogan seethed, "What's wrong with that?"

"Carter, the whole point of you talking to her was to get information, not to play teacher!"

"Beggin' your pardon, Sir," Newkirk chimed in, "But if you wanted information, you should have sent someone other than Andrew, here. He doesn't shut up long enough for anyone to get a word in edgewise."

Carter looked simultaneously affronted and appeased at the statement.

"I volunteer for the next shift, mon Colonel!" LeBeau piped up, excited by the description of her beauty that Carter had just shared.

Hogan sighed.

"You're right, Newkirk. I was trying to get her comfortable before we started really questioning her, but since we have no idea how long it'll be before she leaves or gets found, we need to speed things up. You'll be next. I want you to use that famous charm of yours. We have to know exactly whose side she's on!"

"She'll be telling me all she knows within minutes, Guv'nor, and you can bet the farm on that!"

"As long as I'm not betting your life," Hogan warned, "Remember that your job is to get secrets, not give them. She could be Gestapo."

Newkirk saluted sloppily and grinned over at LeBeau, who was pouting.

"Don't worry, little mate, you'll get your chance when I'm through with 'er!"

"Au moment où tu as terminé, je serai un vieil homme," LeBeau muttered under his breath, "A very, very old man!"


	5. We slowly drove, he knew no haste

**Chapter 5: We slowly drove, he knew no haste**

Klink couldn't concentrate on his paperwork. How could he when a beautiful single woman was lying in his bed right this very minute? He sighed for the fourth time in the last five minutes and set down his pen.

That ridiculous Carter fellow was with her now, per the doctor's orders. At least he didn't have to worry about her getting bored, not with that chatterbox carrying on like a demented chipmunk.

Helga knocked on his door.

"Sergeant Wilson here to see you, Herr Kommandant," she said politely.

"Show him in," Klink responded, leaning back in his chair as the medic entered the room.

Wilson shifted uncomfortably as he stood in front of Klink's desk.

"Well?" Klink asked, standing, "What is it?"

"I've come to train you, Sir," Wilson said, his hands fisted at his sides.

"Train? Oh, oh, yes," Klink said, remembering that he'd volunteered to watch over his guest during the night.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sir?" the medic asked, "I mean, you'll have to stay close to her and check her several times during the night. You won't get much rest. I'd be happy to…"

"No," Klink said definitively, moving around his desk, "No prisoners out all night. I'll be fine. Just tell me what to look for."

Wilson sighed but nodded. Colonel Hogan had assured him that Klink wouldn't take advantage of his patient's condition, but he wasn't as confident in the Kraut's good-will as the Colonel seemed to be. Gestapo or not, Anna was his patient and therefore his responsibility.

He showed the Kommandant how to take a pulse, how to take a temperature, and what sounds to listen for when a patient had difficulty breathing. The usually dense man was surprisingly teachable and Wilson didn't feel quite as bad leaving Anna in his hands overnight.

"The fever is especially important," Wilson cautioned as he left, "It is often the first sign of infection. If her temperature goes over 100 degrees, you must come get me immediately."

Klink frowned at the prisoner's command, but nodded. Dismissing the Sergeant, Klink returned to his paperwork, simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the night.

The day passed quickly, and soon it was time for dinner. Schultz delivered the Cockroach's creations to his door, Carter sniffing appreciatively on his way out.

"I'll see you later, Miss Anna!" Carter said cheerfully, waving as he left and practically bouncing out the door. Klink stifled a jolt of jealousy and shook his head at the thought. No woman could be attracted to a buffoon like Carter. He was no threat.

Schultz followed him inside, the tray balanced in his hands.

"_Good evening, my dear," _Klink said, moving aside to let Schultz lower the tray to her lap, "_I had something special prepared for your dinner. Not heavy, of course, but I hope you will still find it palatable."_

"Danke," Anna said softly, her eyes flickering tensely between the two soldiers.

"Schultz," Klink snapped, gesturing for the man to go get his meal.

"_I thought I would dine in here, so you did not have to eat alone,"_ Klink explained as Schultz returned with a small foldable table and the Kommandant's dinner. Setting it up quickly, Schultz left at Klink's impatient wave.

"_I will be right outside the door if you need me, Kommandant,"_ Schultz said, speaking more to Anna than the Kommandant. He left when Klink's glare turned murderous, his ponderous gait rattling the delicate china plates.

They ate quietly, Klink attempting to make small talk to which Anna only answered the bare minimum. Finally he realized he wasn't getting anywhere and fell silent, finishing his meal and watching subtly as she picked at her food.

"_It doesn't please you?"_ he asked, making a mental note to punish the Frenchman for somehow messing up this simple request.

Anna looked up and for a moment Klink swore she was terrified.

"Nein, nein," she said quickly, "_It is very good. I am simply… tired. Please, let the chef know it was not his fault."_

Klink nodded, standing and taking the tray from her. He took it and his dishes out to Schultz and gave orders that they were not to be disturbed.

"But, Herr Kommandant," Schultz said quietly, "_Is it appropriate?" _

Klink's eyes narrowed at the insinuation.

"_I am an officer of the Third Reich and she is my guest!" _he snapped.

"Ja, Herr Kommandant," Schultz agreed quietly, lowering his eyes.

As Klink closed the door Schultz shuffled off, his stomach churning.

"Dies ist nicht gut," he muttered, shaking his head.

Klink changed into his nightclothes, wrapping his robe tightly around him. Picking up a book, his well-worn copy of Faust, he entered Anna's room.

She was already lying down, curled on her right side. The warm lantern light flickered across her features, giving her an angelic look marred only by the deep frown she wore.

Klink sat down in the overstuffed chair, its wooden legs creaking lightly.

Her eyes snapped open.

"_What are you doing?"_ she asked, her expression closed.

"_I am keeping watch on your health," _he said, opening his book and leaning back.

She said nothing more, but as he glanced up from time to time he could see her staring at him.

"_Sleep_," he ordered gently, pretending to read, "_You are safe._"

Her look of shock was quickly concealed, but he wondered what he'd said to surprise her. He continued to turn pages, not really reading the words but rather watching as she fought sleep. At last her eyes grew too heavy and her breathing deepened.

Klink sat down the book and reveled in the freedom to really look at her the way he wished.

Tonight had not gone the way he had planned. She'd barely spoken to him and had not seemed impressed by him in the slightest. In fact, if anything, she seemed to fear him; though she hid it remarkably well. It was an unusual feeling, to be feared. No one feared him. Not even his prisoners.

So why did she? Yes, she was a woman and he was a man and they were alone here. But he was a soldier; an officer and a gentleman. Did that mean nothing anymore? Contemplating the officers he knew, Klink had to conclude it did not. Most men in power now took what they wanted. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more his stomach churned at the thought of what would have happened to her if she'd been found by the Kommandant of Stalag Five, or worse, General Burkhalter.

No wonder she was so frightened of him! If she had been exposed to men such as these, then he could look no different in her eyes. She would see him as the same type of monster. But how to convince her otherwise; that was the problem. How did he show her he would not take what he wanted and yet remain the responsible officer she could respect?

-000-

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Colonel Hogan," Schultz said quietly in deference to the sleeping barracks.

"What is it, Schultz?" the Colonel asked, sitting up in his bunk. The rotund Sergeant was more of a friend than a guard, so the Colonel was more than happy to give the man his ear, even in the middle of the night.

"I'm worried," Schultz said, "The Kommandant and the woman, alone all night… It is not right."

Hogan laughed and shook his head.

"Aw, come on, Schultz, you really think the Iron Weasel is going to try something?"

"Do not laugh!" Schultz said sternly, "He left orders not to be disturbed."

"So?" Hogan asked, leaning back in his bunk and closing his eyes, "Maybe he wants to get a full night's sleep, unlike me."

"You forget," Schultz said sadly, moving towards the door, "He is still a man, and an officer. He can do what he pleases here, and no one could go against him. Even if he…" Schultz shook his head and sighed deeply, shutting the door quietly behind him.

In the morning, Hogan was the first one up. Actually, he had never gone back to sleep; Schultz's unfinished sentence haunting him. Klink's thoughtful and preoccupied expression didn't help matters.

"Newkirk," he said softly, pulling the Englishman aside after roll-call, "When you see our guest today, try to make sure nothing… happened… during the night."

Newkirk raised an eyebrow, his blue cap cocked jauntily.

"You really think the Kommandant would try something?"

"It has crossed my mind," Hogan said dryly.

Newkirk nodded, frowning.

"We need to find out who she really is. If she's not Gestapo, I want to give her the opportunity to get out of here before it's too late," Hogan said, walking with Newkirk towards the Kommandant's quarters.

"You can count on me," Newkirk said, giving him a confident grin before slipping away.

He patted Wilson on the back as he left from his morning check-up on Anna, the medic's calm expression letting him know that all was fine with her, health-wise at least.

"Guten morgan!" Newkirk greeted, blustering into the bedroom confidently, "My name's Peter Newkirk, and I've heard nothing but good things about you, Fraulein Anna!"

He grinned down at the beautiful bird in the bed, his smile dropping as he took in her wide-eyed expression and rapidly paling face.

"_What's wrong?_" he asked, quickly seizing her wrist and taking her pulse. It was racing. He moved his hand up to her forehead to check her temperature, wondering how Wilson could have missed something, when she grabbed his hand in hers- holding it tight.

"_Kristof! Is it really you?"_ she asked, touching his cheek gently.

"_I'm sorry," _Newkirk whispered, taking her hand and moving it from his cheek, "_I'm not Kristof. My name is Peter."_

She closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Nein, nein," she whimpered, covering her face with her hands.

"_I'm sorry," _Newkirk said sympathetically, "_I'll get someone else to sit with you today. I'm sorry,"_ he repeated, backing away as she sobbed.

"Nein!" she called, stopping him as he turned away, "_Please, don't leave,"_ she pleaded, wiping frantically at her tears, "_I'm fine. It's just…"_

"_I remind you of Kristof," _Newkirk finished gently.

"Ja."

"_Who was he?" _Newkirk asked, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand as tears began to well.

"_My brother," _she answered, "_You look much like him."_

"Bet I don't bloody sound like him, though!" Newkirk said with a grin, the meaning if not the words themselves sure to translate.

She chuckled wetly, shaking her head.

"_What happened to him?" _Newkirk asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Fraulein Anna."

"_Just Anna, please," _she said, "_If I am going to tell you the truth, then you must be a friend."_

"_Alright, Anna. And I'm Peter. And I am a friend, or at least as much as an enemy can be!" _he said, grinning again.

She smiled tightly at him, but clutched his hand.

"_I will not tell you all, Peter," _she said after long minutes of silence, "_I do not know if I could even if I wanted to. It is enough to tell that my brother was murdered in front of my eyes. And I could do, say, nothing to stop it. Even if I had…" _She cut herself off, her jaw snapping shut with a loud clack as she flinched.

Newkirk didn't let her pull away but neither did he draw closer, merely keeping their hands intertwined and his hip pressed against hers.

"_Shh, it's alright,"_ he comforted.

"_No, it is not alright," _she said with a deep sigh, "_I fear it will never be alright again."_

Newkirk cupped her cheek with his free hand.

"_Now don't you go giving up hope," _he chided gently, "_How would they say it? Oh, yes, it is always darkest before the dawn."_

She looked up at him, her deep green eyes meeting his oceanic blue.

"_But what if there is no day?" _she whispered.

"_No one can stop the sun from rising, Anna, not even old comb lip," _Newkirk assured, with a smile.

She laughed and then caught herself, looking around to make sure no one had overheard.

"_Be careful what you say, Peter," _she cautioned, her voice falling below a whisper, "_The walls have ears."_

He laughed, shaking his head.

"Lady, you have NO idea!"


	6. And I had put away

**Chapter 6: And I had put away**

Lunch was brought to them courtesy of LeBeau, who glared at Newkirk but smiled charmingly at Anna as he was introduced.

"Enchantée, Mademoiselle Anna," LeBeau greeted, kissing her hand, "Je suis Louis LeBeau. I am at your service."

"Oh, knock it off Louis!" Newkirk griped with a roll of his eyes, "He just thinks 'cause he's French he can get all the dames!"

Anna laughed quietly as they argued; their friendship apparent.

When Newkirk finally shoved him from the room, they started to eat.

"Man, you can't beat LeBeau's cookin', that's for sure," Newkirk said as he tucked into the simple, but tasty, meal, "_But don't tell him I complemented him. He'll get a big head."_

Anna laughed and shook her head.

They finished their meal and Newkirk cleaned up. When he was finished he sat back down on the edge of her bed and took her hand, checking her pulse.

"Ticking along nicely," he said with a smile. Feeling her forehead he smiled again.

"Ist das normal?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, you're just fine," he responded equally as quietly, his hand sliding down to her cheek.

"Was ist es?" she asked as he searched her eyes.

"_Please, tell me how you were injured," _he asked.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Peter…"

"_Please, Anna," _Newkirk pleaded softly, "_I want to help you."_

"_Ah, Peter, my friend," _Anna said, opening her eyes, tears spilling out, "_You are a prisoner here, the same as I. It is a noble thought, but you cannot help me," _her voice faded, "_I think no one can."_

"_Tell me!" _Newkirk insisted, _"I swear to you I can help you, but only if you tell me!"_

"_Peter, I cannot,"_ she said, grabbing him as he started to pull away, "_I trusted once, and I paid dearly for it; more dearly than I ever thought. I cannot trust again, even you, my friend."_

"I am sorry," she said softly, in English.

"I am too, Darlin'," Newkirk said, shaking his head, "If only you'd tell me. I know the Colonel would figure out a way to get you out of your situation, whatever it is."

She looked at him in confusion, unable to understand most of what he said.

"_Don't worry about it," _he said with a sigh, "_Whenever you decide to trust again, please, tell me. My friends and I will help you- as much as we can,"_ he added, remembering not to give too much away. As much as he liked her, she still hadn't proven she wasn't Gestapo. She wouldn't even give him a good excuse to try to convince the Colonel.

No, he thought with another deep sigh, she hadn't really told him anything. Though if that meant she was a spy or simply a frightened victim… Aye, that was the rub.

The spoke of happier things, then. Her brother and how much he loved her, taking care of her from the time they were both very small. Her parents who had both passed away some time ago. He told her of his own sister, Mavis, who relied on him since they were young.

"_We are much the same,"_ Anna said with a delighted smile.

"_I hope your brother was a little more honest than I!"_ Newkirk said laughingly, giving her a peek of the ace of spades he had tucked up his sleeve.

She laughed and shook her head.

"_No, Kristof was quite the troublemaker when we were young,"_ she said with a fond smile, "_Though he was handsome enough to get out of it just as quickly."_

"_I think I'll take that as a complement,"_ Newkirk said with a cheeky grin, remembering how similar he looked to her brother.

"_As well you should,"_ Anna said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

"Newkirk!" Klink's voice roared from the doorway, startling them both.

Newkirk immediately stood and backed away from the bed, his head down.

"Go outside," Klink commanded, his voice quiet but dangerous, "I will deal with you."

"Yes, Sir," Newkirk acknowledged, scrambling from the room. Klink followed slowly, his hands clenched at his side.

Anna watched him go with wide, terrified eyes, her face pale. What had she done?

Anna listened, her stomach clenching as she heard the prisoner's voices rising outside, their muffled language strange and incomprehensible. She could pick out several voices above the crowd; Oberst Hogan, Andrew, Louis… But not Peter.

The Kommandant's voice rose above the rest, calling for silence. The men continued to argue.

And then there was a shot. The voices fell silent.

"_My God," _she whispered, _"What have I done?"_

The Kommandant had shot Newkirk. She knew it. He'd seen her kissing a prisoner, him sitting on her bed…

She'd murdered her friend.

"_Peter,"_ she moaned, hiding her face as she sobbed, "_Please, forgive me. Please."_

She wiped the tears away quickly as the Kommandant's heavy boot-steps entered and he appeared in the doorway, tucking his pistol back into its holster.

The Kommandant did not look at her, staring at the wall above her instead.

"_There will be no more visits,"_ Klink growled, turning and leaving before she could say a word.

"_Peter_," she whispered, curling into the bed, "_Kristof, forgive me_."


	7. My labor, and my leisure too

**Chapter 7: My labor, and my leisure too**

Klink was happy. Genuinely happy. He didn't quite know why. After all, his guest had not shown any particular inclination towards him, but he still had high hopes. Maybe she would be more talkative today. Whoever was in with her now was certainly quieter than that loudmouthed Carter fellow.

He slowly unbuttoned his heavy overcoat as he entered his quarters, moving towards the bedroom. As he came around the corner and looked in through the open doorway, his heart froze in his chest.

The Englander. And he was sitting on her bed! Klink's blood pressure shot up, roaring in his ears.

How dare that foreigner make an unwelcome advance on an injured German woman!

She laughed then as he showed her something, their hands touching.

Klink stiffened. So, the advance wasn't unwelcome! She would rather talk, and flirt, with a ratty prisoner rather than an officer of the Third Reich?

When she leaned forward and kissed the Englander's cheek, Klink lost it.

"Newkirk!" he shouted, his fingernails digging into his palms as he struggled to remain in control.

The Englander leapt away from the bed and then lowered his head deferentially. A wise move as any defiance at this point would get him shot.

"Go outside," Klink commanded, choking on his rage, "I will deal with you."

"Yes, Sir," Newkirk acknowledged, moving quickly outside. Klink followed slowly, his hands clenched at his side. He didn't turn around and look at her.

Klink stepped out of the building only seconds after Newkirk, but already there was a crowd forming around the man, Hogan at his side.

"Stand aside, Colonel Hogan," Klink ordered gruffly, his eyes fixed on the anxious Englander.

"Colonel, you know I have to be present any time one of my men is…"

Klink shifted his focus to Hogan, cutting the glib man's flow of words off by the strength of his glare.

"Newkirk, you will receive thirty days in the cooler," Klink ordered, gesturing towards Schultz.

LeBeau, Carter, and Hogan all started protesting loudly, others chiming in with their own murmurs.

"Silence!" Klink shouted, his teeth gritting.

The prisoners ignored him, getting in Schultz's way as the plump guard tried to follow orders.

Klink slipped his hand into his coat and pulled out his pistol, firing a shot into the air.

Immediately, silence fell over the camp. The guards in the towers watched alertly and even Schultz stood at attention, staring at Klink in surprise.

"You have your orders," Klink said quietly, turning back towards his quarters as Schultz led an unprotesting Newkirk off to the cooler.

If Klink hadn't been so caught up in his own thoughts, he would have found the flash of fear in Hogan's eyes particularly gratifying.

-000-

Klink ate dinner in his office, though he had little stomach for food. Every time he thought of the Englander touching her… If he had been a typical German soldier, he would have shot the man. As it was, he had barely restrained himself from sending the prisoner somewhere far worse than the cooler.

And the woman… His teeth ground together as he thought about her happy laughter, the kiss she'd pressed to Newkirk's cheek.

The same woman who would barely look at him when he spoke; despite that fact that HE was the one to rescue her, to keep her in comfort, to let her convalesce in his bed! He fed her the best meals, got her the best medical help he could provide, even allowed the prisoners to keep her company. Well, no more. He would still allow the medic to see her, supervised, of course, but no one else. Maybe if she had no one to talk to she would learn to appreciate him.

A dark stillness fell over the camp, even the icy wind breathing its last as the sun's warmth abandoned the desolate grounds. Klink put out the light and retired from his office, entering his quarters and grimacing as he passed the untouched tray of food she had apparently ignored.

Changing into his nightclothes and donning his robe, Klink paused outside the bedroom door. At war within himself, he both needed to see her and hated to. She had betrayed him, but she was ill and needed to be checked. She shunned him, but she was still so beautiful he couldn't stop looking at her.

He pushed open the door and entered silently, his eyes already adjusted to the dimness. Leaning over her, he touched her wrist.

She woke with a gasp, the streaking of dried tears glittering against her cheeks. Klink grabbed her wrist as her fist jerked towards his face. She didn't let him slow her down, her other hand flying up towards him also.

Klink intercepted the tiny fist, clinging to her wrists and forcing both her arms above her head as she growled angry.

"_Murderer!_" she cursed, "_Monsters like you killed Kristof, and now you killed Peter! Why don't you just kill me, too? What is one more bullet?"_ she hissed, attempting to kick him as the blanket tangled around her feet.

Klink tried to keep her from hurting herself, pinning her to the bed.

"_Stop!"_ Klink ordered, overwhelmed by her rage.

She didn't stop, squirming beneath him as she struggled fruitlessly to hurt him.

"_Stop fighting me!"_ Klink ordered again, watching, alarmed, as spots of blood began to appear on her garment. She had reopened her wounds.

She stopped moving, panting rapidly as she glared up at him.

"_Do it, then_," she growled, "_You see I do not have the strength to fight you. Take what you came for_," her voice broke but she did not look away, even as tears escaped from the corners of her eyes.

For a moment, Klink did not understand. And then, after struggling to catch his breath, he realized.

He was lying on top of her, the blankets tangled between her feet. His robe had fallen open in the struggle and now all that came between them was the thin material of their nightgowns. Material thin enough that she could clearly feel his arousal against her body.

Klink released her and stood, quickly tying the robe.

"_I…"_ he rasped, his throat closing up as he ran a shaky hand across his bald head, _"I didn't kill the Englander,"_ he said finally, defending himself in what he could.

She merely looked at him, her face expressionless.

He left the room, closing the door behind him. Sitting on his cot, he let his head hang, wondering when he had lost all control.

Had he been about to do what she accused him of? He didn't think so, but his body seemed to betray him. Was he so angry with her that he would take what was not offered? Had the war changed him so much? He had almost shot a man today. Almost taken a woman. Was he the monster she accused him of being?


	8. For his civility

**Chapter 8: For his civility**

Newkirk walked out of the Kommandant's quarters with a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd never seen Klink so mad.

Hopefully the Kraut would only take it out on him. If he hurt Anna…

Newkirk swallowed down the helpless feeling. What could he do? Yeah, the Colonel could probably think of something, but what if he wouldn't? He still thought she was Gestapo.

Looking up as he stepped down the stairs, Newkirk met Hogan's eyes. His commander immediately knew something was wrong, practically running towards him with LeBeau, Carter, and Kinch right at his heels.

"What happened?" Colonel Hogan asked, taking hold of his arm.

Before Newkirk could even get a word out, Klink was there.

"Stand aside, Colonel Hogan," Klink ordered gruffly, glaring at Newkirk.

Newkirk swallowed nervously but Hogan didn't budge.

"Colonel, you know I have to be present any time one of my men is…" he started, falling silent when Klink's glare turned on him.

A crowd had begun to form, watching the occurrence with ill-disguised interest.

"Newkirk, you will receive thirty days in the cooler," Klink ordered, gesturing towards Schultz.

LeBeau, Carter, and Hogan all started protesting loudly, others chiming in with their own murmurs of dissent.

"Silence!" Klink shouted, causing Newkirk to flinch. He wanted to tell them to just shut up and go along with it. They didn't realize how serious Klink was this time and their nattering couldn't help the situation.

Turning towards Colonel Hogan, he opened his mouth to warn him when there was a shot. Newkirk recoiled, tensing in anticipation of pain.

He'd known that Klink was angry, furious really, but to shoot a prisoner…

Colonel Hogan's bruising grip around his biceps brought him back to reality, the sudden silence eerie.

"You have your orders," Klink said quietly.

Newkirk and Hogan shared a look of astonishment, and neither one argued when Schultz gently led Newkirk off towards the cooler, the large man's hands shaking.

-000-

"What did you do, boy?" Carter asked when Newkirk clambered out of the tunnel.

After Schulz had delivered dinner, eating most of it, and had fallen asleep, Newkirk took the opportunity to scarper- using the tunnel to get back to Barracks 2.

"Yes, mon ami," LeBeau said with a shake of his head, "I've never seen Klink so furieux!"

Newkirk sighed heavily and sat down on the bench, nodding his thanks as Kinch handed him a cup of coffee.

Colonel Hogan sat down at the head of the table, looking serious.

"Report," he ordered.

"It was my fault, Colonel," Newkirk said, "I should 'ave realized Klink was due back. He should 'ave never caught us."

"Caught you? Oh, la la!" LeBeau said, shaking his hand.

"Naw," Newkirk corrected with a blush, "It wasn't like that. She just bussed me on the cheek, that's all."

"And for that, Klink almost shot you?" Hogan asked dubiously.

"Well," Newkirk said with a shrug, "I was sitting on her bed at the time…"

"Oh, boy," Carter said, shaking his head, "If my pa had caught you like that with my sister, boy, he'd have…" he mimed cocking a shotgun and firing it, making extended exploding noises.

"Thanks for that, mate," Newkirk said with a roll of his eyes, "Like I said, it was my mistake."

"At least it sounds like you got more out of her than Carter," Hogan said hopefully, "Care to share?"

"Well," Newkirk paused, "I did find out she had a brother, Kristof, that I look a mighty lot like."

"That's it?" Hogan asked lowly, glaring.

"That, and the fact that he was murdered right in front of her, but she won't say by whom. And she wouldn't tell me who hurt her, either."

"So, you almost got shot for nothing," Kinch summarized.

"Now, I wouldn't say that," Newkirk defended.

"I would," Hogan snapped.

"Now, Gov'nor, you know there's lots of reasons she'd be unwilling to say what happened, besides being Gestapo, that is! I mean, would you expect me to go spilling the beans to everyone I met? Or Andrew?" he winced and shook his head, "Sorry, bad example."

"Hey!" Carter said, standing before LeBeau shoved him back onto the cot.

"Anyway, you gets me point," Newkirk finished, gazing down into his mug, "I trust her… Mostly."

-000-

Klink surprised him again in the morning. Newkirk had returned to the cooler earlier and was sitting on the cot, thinking, when the Kommandant entered.

"Come with me," he said shortly, turning and marching away before Newkirk could even stand.

Newkirk followed him, glancing over at Colonel Hogan and the others watching from the barrack's window as they passed. With a shrug, Newkirk indicated he didn't know what was going on.

As they approached the Kommandant's quarters, Newkirk's heart began to beat faster. Why would Klink let him see Anna again? After the way Klink had almost snapped yesterday, Newkirk had thought for sure he'd never even be allowed close to the building, let alone inside!

Newkirk missed a step as another thought came to him. What if this was some sort of punishment? What if Klink was going to do something to him, in front of Anna? Or vice versa?

Newkirk swallowed hard as Klink paused in the doorway, gesturing impatiently for him to enter. He'd never felt intimidated by the thin, balding Kraut before, but that imperious gaze had his insides in knots now.

Klink's hand tightened on the riding crop under his arm and Newkirk suppressed a flinch, forcing himself to enter the darkened quarters. Following Klink back to the bedroom, Newkirk took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Peter!" Anna shouted, throwing her legs off the bed and attempting unsuccessfully to stand. Newkirk forgot about the Kraut behind him and jumped forward, his hand on her shoulder insisting that she remain seated.

"Careful, Love, you'll hurt yourself," he warned, allowing her to pull him into a tight hug.

He pulled away after a second, Klink's glare burning against his back.

"_Peter, Peter, you're alright_," Anna said softly, her hand on his cheek as she searched his eyes.

"Yeah, Darlin', I'm fine," he assured her, frowning as he took her hands in his, "_Where did you get these bruises?" _he asked quietly, his heart in his throat. Black and blue fingerprints encircled both her wrists and, as he looked at her closer, spots of blood had appeared on her gown.

"_I'm fine_," she responded, glancing behind him at Klink before lowering her gaze.

Newkirk lost his breath, mind spinning.

"That's enough," Klink growled, "Come!"

Newkirk stood, smiling tightly at Anna one more time before Klink shoved him from the room.

Outside, Newkirk spun and glared at Klink.

"You're free to go back to your barracks," Klink said, his lip curling, "But you will not see her again."

Newkirk's eyes narrowed. So, his punishment was called off. And just what price had Anna paid for that?

"She's hurting," Newkirk spat angrily, "She needs…"

"I know what she needs!" Klink interrupted, "Wilson is on his way. Now, go back to your barracks before I change my mind! Dismissed!"

Trembling with anger, Newkirk gave a sloppy salute and left. He had to tell Colonel Hogan. He had to help her.

"Colonel!" Newkirk shouted as he entered Barracks 2. Hogan immediately emerged from his room, joining the rest of his men as Newkirk paced anxiously.

"What happened? Why aren't you in the cooler?" Hogan asked.

"I'll tell you what happened!" Newkirk shouted, running his hand through his hair, "Anna… Anna…" his voice broke and he stopped pacing, leaning his head against the wall.

"Pierre?" LeBeau asked, gently touching his friend's shoulder.

Newkirk spun to face them, shocking them as tears appeared in his eyes; his hand tight around LeBeau's shoulder.

"She traded herself for me," he rasped.

"Mon Dieu!" LeBeau said softly.

"You mean Klink's throwing her in the cooler instead? That doesn't seem fair!" Carter said innocently.

The men glared at Carter and shook their heads.

"How do you know?" Hogan asked, sitting down heavily. He'd never thought Klink would… But he'd been wrong before.

"His fingers left bruises around her wrists," Newkirk growled, demonstrating with his own hands, "And her wounds were bleeding. You could see it right through her gown."

"Filthy Boche," LeBeau cursed, his voice quavering.

"Do you believe me now, Colonel?" Newkirk snarled, "Or do you need more proof she's not a damn spy?"

Hogan shook his head.

"No, Newkirk, I believe you," he said standing and gripping the Englishman's shoulder, "And I promise, we'll get her out of here."

"Yeah," Newkirk agreed, staring down at the floor, "I just hope it isn't too little, too late."


	9. We passedtheschool,where children strove

**Chapter 9: We passed the school, where children strove**

"No," Wilson said, "She can't leave."

"What?" Newkirk cried, "You saw the bruises, you know what that pig did to her! Why the bloody hell can't she?"

"I know what I saw, and what she wouldn't let me see," Wilson said quietly, "But I also know she can't walk, not to mention run. What are you going to do, carry her to London?"

"If I 'ave to, yeah!" Newkirk said sharply. Hogan laid a hand on his shoulder.

"What can we do, Doc?" the Colonel asked quietly.

Wilson sighed.

"I'll try to get her on her feet as fast as possible. But it will take a few days, at least, before she'll be up to even the most minimal of exertion. She's still very weak."

"A few days," Newkirk whispered, his face drawn, "After a few days in his hands, she'll…"

Hogan's hand shifted to the back of Newkirk's neck.

"I know," he said softly, "But she's strong. She'll make it."

-000-

Klink gave the medic privacy as he tended to her, and, though he didn't appreciate the grimace of disapproval Wilson gave him when he left, Klink understood it.

Klink, too, had seen the bruises on her wrists and knew what they must think of him.

A monster.

Klink didn't miss her flinch when he entered the bedroom, nor the way she drew into herself, as if to present a smaller target.

"Danke," she said softly before he spoke, startling him.

He cocked his head and looked at her in question.

"_Thank you for letting me see Peter for myself. I had thought you…"_ she trailed off, looking away.

"_You thought I was lying when I said I didn't kill him,"_ Klink finished.

"Ja," she said with a nod.

"_I do not lie, Anna," _Klink said with a sigh, his hands behind his back, "_Nor do I kill prisoners or take what is not mine,"_ he finished meaningfully.

She flinched again and swallowed.

"_I apologize," _she said softly.

Klink stepped forward and took her hand.

"_As do I," _he said, just brushing his fingers along the bruises.

She looked at him then. Really looked at him. He met her frank gaze seriously, her hand still cupped gently in his.

"Danke, Wilhelm,"she said.

-000-

That afternoon it was easier. She did not flinch when he entered the room, and only flinched a little that night, when he came to check on her. She ate most of her dinner, and even commented a few times on Klink's mostly one-sided conversation.

The next morning Wilson returned and announced that it was time for her to stand again, though he warned it would be painful.

Klink left after a few minutes, unable to stand the small whimpers of pain she fought to hide.

At lunch she was napping, so he did not get to see her again until dinner. She ate sparingly, her efforts and the pain taking away what little appetite she had. Klink tried to encourage her to eat more, but she politely declined.

She was asleep before he left the room, which on one hand gave him the warm feeling that she trusted him, but on the other hand worried him that the medic was pushing her too hard too quickly.

Sitting in the overstuffed chair next to her bed, Klink laid his copy of Faust on his lap and promptly forgot about it, staring at her.

She'd called him by his first name. Only once, yes, but still, it was progress.

"Kristof," she murmured in her sleep, startling Klink from his contemplation.

"Kristof, bitte," she moaned.

"Shh," Klink comforted, moving to crouch down next to her.

"_Kristof, please, don't leave me,"_ she entreated, "_I need you. Please!"_

Klink frowned deeply and sighed. Who was Kristof? Her husband? Her lover? She'd mentioned him before, said he was killed. Did she love him still, even in death?

Did her love for Kristof mean she would never grow to love him?

"Nein!" she screamed, her eyes flying open as she sat up.

Klink didn't know what to do. He froze. She stared over at him uncomprehendingly for a long moment and then she grabbed his shoulder, yanking him onto the bed.

"_Anna, what?"_ he stuttered, falling forward, his arms automatically wrapping around her.

"_Please, Wilhelm, hold me,"_ she wept, hiding her face in his chest, "_Promise me no more pain."_

"Shh," Klink hushed, running his hand through her hair as he held her close, "_Nothing will hurt you here. I promise."_

She fell back to sleep in his arms, his hand still moving. He sat, propped up against the headboard, while she used him as a pillow.

He'd never felt so content.

-000-

Newkirk sat up in his bunk, his face pale.

"Notre Père, qui es aux cieux…"

Newkirk heard LeBeau whispering the Lord's prayer as he listened to the silence.

"I didn't imagine it, then," he said finally, looking down at the petit Frenchman in the bunk below his.

"Non," LeBeau said softly, his face obscured by the darkness.

"Do you think he's…" Carter asked softly, surprising them both. He'd argued with them earlier, defending Klink and trying to rationalize away the evidence. He always wanted to believe the best in people. But now he sounded disillusioned and hopeless.

They looked over in his direction, the sparse light glinting in his eyes as he sniffled.

"I mean," Carter continued, his voice raspy and low, "She wouldn't just scream in the middle of the night for no reason."

"Go back to sleep," Newkirk said tightly, "There's not a bloody thing we can do for her now."

Newkirk turned over in his bunk, his back to the rest of the barracks. He pretended to go back to sleep, but listened to the silence instead, his mind filled with images of what was happening in the Kommandant's quarters at that very moment.

Newkirk knew that Hogan hadn't missed the scream last night either, his eyes darkened by lack of sleep as they stood at attention during morning roll call. Schultz sighed heavily and shook his head as he met Hogan's eyes, the large German heavy with remorse.

Hogan kept his face expressionless as Klink strode out of his office.

"Report!" the Kommandant shouted, his hands behind his back. Newkirk scowled and Schultz grimaced at the large smile plastered across the Kraut commander's face.

"All present and accounted for, Herr Kommandant," Schultz answered quietly.

"Dismissed!" Klink said, quickly turning and stomping back up the stairs to his office.

The men disbursed, but Schultz stopped Hogan, Newkirk and the others hanging back to listen in.

"Colonel Hogan," he said quietly, looking around to make sure none of the other guards were watching their interaction, "You must do something."

"What are you talking about?" Hogan snapped, rubbing his eyes with a sigh as the guard's face fell further.

"Sorry," Hogan said, "What are we talking about?" he asked patiently.

"The woman," Schultz said, "The Kommandant did not sleep in his cot last night and I heard her scream and this morning I saw the bruises…" he trailed off, his eyes filling with tears.

Newkirk let out a strangled curse and looked down, his hands clenched. Carter looked like he was about to vomit and LeBeau alternated between anger and concern for his comrades. Only Kinch remained composed, giving Hogan the strength to respond calmly.

"We know," Hogan said, "We're going to try to get her out of here as soon as we can."

"Gut," Schultz said simply, "I will help you."

Hogan looked at him in surprise.

"I thought you wanted to know nothing, Schultz?"

"Nein," Schultz said with a shake of his head, "I will not close my eyes to this. I may not be much of a soldier, but I am a man and I will not stand for this. Not if I can stop it."

"You're a good man, Schultzy," Newkirk said softly, patting the guard's back.

"We have to wait until Wilson clears her, though," Hogan reminded.

"Ja," Schultz said with a deep sigh, "You will let me know, bitte?"

"Yeah, Schultzy," Newkirk assured, "We'll keep you in the loop."

Schultz nodded and then waddled off, looking heavy-laden.


	10. At recess, in the ring

**Chapter 10: At recess, in the ring**

He woke with her still in his arms.

It was an exhilarating feeling. Her warm body pressed against his, the soft breath cuffing against his chest. Klink felt it a shame to move in the slightest, but the sun peeking through the shutters gave no quarter, and morning roll call was not far away.

He shifted, trying to move from beneath her without disturbing her rest but, alas, it was not to be. She woke, her emerald eyes blinking sleepily as her hands fisted around the lapel of his robe.

"_Five more minutes, Kristof," _she murmured, snuggling into his chest.

Klink's heart froze, the budding grin falling as the man's name dropped from her lips.

Once again, Kristof had come between them.

Klink gently untangled her hands and stood, swallowing back his anger and frustration as she gasped.

"Wilhelm?" she asked, her eyes widening as she finally woke completely.

"_Good morning,"_ he said tersely, his voice tight.

"_Good morning," _Anna responded, blushing as she remembered last night, "_Did you stay with me all night?"_ she asked softly.

"Ja," he said, moving towards the door.

"_Wilhelm, wait," _she said, standing unsteadily.

He turned and took hold of her shoulder, helping her gain her balance before letting go.

"_I have to get to work," _he said, avoiding her eyes.

"_I understand,"_ she said quietly, "_I just…"_

She fell silent and he shifted uncomfortably. Then she did something he'd never expected. She rested her hand on his shoulder and stretched up to kiss his cheek.

His eyes wide in astonishment, he could only gape down at her as she blushed and pulled away.

"_Have a good day," _she said softly.

Nodding mutely, Klink walked out of the bedroom, a smile stretching across his face as he touched the spot she'd kissed.

By the time roll call came along, his smile had morphed into a blinding grin. Who cared if she'd called Kristof's name? She'd kissed him!

The remembrance of that kiss kept his spirits high throughout the morning, and by the time lunch rolled around he was almost shaking at the thought of getting to see her again.

He strode through the door, intent on reaching the bedroom as quickly as possible to see her, but stopped short just inside the doorway.

"_Good day, Wilhelm,"_ Anna said with a mischievous grin as she perched primly on his couch, a tea set before her.

The simple flower-print dress clung to her curves and Klink had to swallow before he could manage a response.

"_Anna, you look wonderful!"_ he said, his grin nearly splitting his face, "_Are you sure you are well enough?"_ he asked, his expression falling as he noted the paleness of her skin and the slight trembling of her hands as she poured the tea.

She smiled and gestured for him to sit next to her.

"_The prisoners were kind enough to sew me this dress. It was thoughtful of them, no?"_

"_Very thoughtful," _Klink agreed, taking the cup of tea she handed him, their fingers brushing.

"_It is nice to be out of that room,"_ she said, "_I was feeling like a prisoner myself!"_ she said with a light laugh.

Klink chuckled and sipped at his tea. It was a little strong for his taste, but not bad. He hadn't missed her side-step of his question, but decided to let it drop for now. She was sitting at least.

She stood and he stood also, grabbing her arm as she nearly fell backwards.

"_What are you doing?" _he asked, his voice harsh with worry.

"_Getting lunch,"_ she said softly, what little color she had draining from her face.

"Schultz!" Klink yelled, the guard appearing quickly.

"Yes, Herr Kommandant?" he asked, his eyes wide as he looked between his commander and the pale woman wavering in his grip.

"Bring our lunch," Klink snapped, "Now, dummkopf!" he said as Schultz paused a moment too long.

Schultz turned and ran to get the tray, carefully presenting it to the now seated couple.

"That will be all," Klink said, his eyes never moving from his intense study of Anna's hunched, pale figure next to him.

Schultz backed from the room, his face drawn.

"_Do you need to lie down?"_ Klink asked worriedly as Anna leaned back on the couch.

"_I'm fine," _she said quietly, "_Don't worry. Just give me a moment, please."_

After a few minutes she felt well enough to eat, smiling quietly as Klink released his anxiety in the best way he knew how- talking. He told her about his family, even a little about the frustrating friendship he'd found in his senior prisoner of war.

"Oberst Hogan?" Anna asked with a laugh, "_He does seem a likeable fellow, and his men respect him."_

"_More than they respect me, sometimes," _Klink said lightly, glad she was feeling better, "_I wonder who has more control in this camp, him or I?"_

"_Probably him,"_ Anna said teasingly, patting his hand and laughing at the mock-affronted expression he donned.

"_Probably,"_ Klink agreed, turning his hand so that he held hers.

They grew serious then, the cooling tea forgotten.

"_You are not like other soldiers, Wilhelm,"_ Anna said.

"_How do you mean?"_ Klink asked, shying away from her piecing gaze.

"_You are not drunk on power. You do not have the spirit of evil they carry."_

"_I did not know evil was a requirement," _Klink said sardonically, well aware of how vicious his peers were.

"_I thank God you found me, Wilhelm, or I truly do not think I would be alive today," _Anna said, sniffing as she looked down.

"_God forbid,"_ Klink said, his hand tightening around hers, "_The world would have lost much."_

She smiled reservedly at him and shook her head.

"_I would have lost much," _he whispered, leaning towards her.

"_Wilhelm,"_ she breathed, the words sticking in her throat.

He kissed her, his lips softly pressing against hers.

When he pulled away there were tears in her eyes.

"_Anna, did I do something wrong?"_ he asked, his voice tight.

"_No, Wilhelm," _she whispered, "_I think… I should lie down now."_

He frowned as she would not meet his eyes but helped her into the bedroom, nearly carrying her the last few feet.

She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Klink closed the door softly behind him, his heart heavy.

As he leaned against the door he could hear her sobbing and he wondered if she was thinking of Kristof. Or perhaps, he thought, his eyes flashing, she was thinking of the Englander.

Klink returned to his office, attacking the paperwork as furiously as the Russians attacked the German lines of the Eastern Front. By the time it got dark, his desk was lost beneath a flurry of requisition forms, memos, and reports, all complete and filled out in triplicate.

When the last I was dotted and the last T crossed, he sat back with a sigh.

He was late to dinner.

She'd probably eaten without him.

The phone rang, rousing him from his morose contemplations.

"_Stalag 13, Kommandant Klink speaking_," Klink answered, knowing that Hilda had long ago gone home.

"Klink! Das ist Hockstetter!"

"Herr Kriminalrat Hochstetter," Klink said, straightening in his chair despite the fact the Gestapo Major couldn't see him, "_What can I do for you_?"

The short, volatile Gestapo Major always scared Klink, in spite of the fact that Klink technically outranked him. No one argued with the Gestapo, except, on rare occasions, General Burkhalter.

"_The Gestapo agent in charge of Hammelburg, Kriminaldirektor VanHausen, is missing a prisoner, a suspected underground agent, and has just now gotten around to telling me!_" the Gestapo man growled unhappily, "_The Gestapo is searching the area and will arrive at Stalag 13 the day after tomorrow to requisition some of your guards for the search. Be ready!" _

"Jawohl, Herr Kriminalrat Hochstetter," Klink said quickly, "_We will be ready!"_

"_Somehow I doubt that, Klink! Heil Hitler!"_

"_Heil…"_ Klink said, the rest of the salute lost as Hochstetter slammed down the phone.

With a deep sigh, Klink gently set the phone back onto its rocker. The Gestapo at Stalag 13. What else could go wrong?


	11. We passed the fields of gazing grain

**Chapter 11: We passed the fields of gazing grain**

"_Good evening, Wilhelm,"_ Anna greeted as Klink entered his quarters. He paused in surprise. She was sitting at the small dining table, their dinner laid out, untouched, before her.

"_You didn't have to wait for me,"_ Klink said at last, sitting down across from her.

She shrugged and smiled at him, tears long banished from her eyes. He could almost forget her reaction to his kiss earlier in the day if it were not for the nervous glances she threw him as they ate.

Finishing their meal, they retired to the couch and sat in companionable silence.

"_Wilhelm, I…"_ she started, her voice cutting out as she looked away.

Klink knew then that he would not like what she had to say, so he decided to change the topic, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible.

"_The Gestapo are coming here the day after tomorrow,"_ he said quietly, "_Apparently they let one of their prisoners escape and need more soldiers to look for him." _Klink gave a huff and shook his head, "_You wouldn't see that happen here. No one escapes Stalag 13!"_ he finished proudly, glad he had at least that example of his standing to offer her.

He finished his soliloquy and glanced over to see its affect. To say it was not what he was expecting was an understatement.

Anna was as pale as a ghost, her eyes wide and hands trembling even as she stood.

"_Anna, what's wrong?"_ Klink asked, reaching out to comfort her.

She flinched away, her breath coming in sharp pants.

"Anna?" Klink asked again, confusion furrowing his brow.

Without a word, she turned and ran into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

Klink stood, looking at the door with his mouth hanging open. What had he said? Why had she cringed from his touch? Had he crossed the line when he'd kissed her earlier? But if that was it then why did she wait to have dinner with him?

His stomach sank as he fell back into the couch.

Perhaps she was going to tell him she was leaving. Maybe that's why she waited to eat with him, to soften the blow. But if that was true, what had he said to make her so frightened?

He ran the words over in his head. Maybe she had seen his boast of no escapes as a threat? After all, she had joked about feeling like a prisoner. But certainly she knew he would not keep her here against her will!

That was it, surely, Klink thought. She still saw him as a soldier, and as a soldier she feared that he would be as possessive and demanding as the others she had met. That he would keep her here as long as he liked, until he got what he wanted out of her.

Klink sighed and ran a hand across the smooth skin of his pate. He'd managed to scare off this beautiful woman; not with his actions, foolish though they might have been, but with his egotistical boasting.

Halfway through his self-flagellation, Klink's pacing was interrupted by the bedroom door creaking slowly open.

Anna stepped out of the bedroom, her head high and hands trembling at her sides.

"_Anna, I…"_ Klink started to apologize, moving towards her.

"_Please," _Anna said holding up her hand, "_Stay where you are and do not speak. I have something to tell you, show you, and I…"_ her voice shook so badly that she was forced to stop and compose herself before continuing, "_I need you to stay silent until I am finished. Please," _she begged, her eyes full of pain.

Klink nodded, his hands fisting at his sides. His heart was in his shoes, sure that she was about to tell him she was leaving. That he'd never see her again.

She began to unbutton her blouse and his mouth fell open. He let out a strangled sound of protest, achingly conscious of the fact that a tear was dripping down her cheek even as she revealed more of her pale, creamy skin to his gaze.

She turned her back to him then, and he was relieved. As much as he longed to see her body… But not like this. Not when so much pain filled every deliberate movement.

He knew the moment she reached the last button. She paused and took a deep, shuddering breath. Klink feared that she would turn now and allow the rest of her garment to fall free. As much of a gentlemen as he strove to be, he didn't know if he had the strength of character, of will, to decline her offer. Even if it was made under duress.

She slipped the blouse from her shoulders, her amber-colored hair covering the nakedness of her back. The thin straps of her brassiere peeked through, the rest of her garment clinging tenaciously to her hips instead of falling, as he'd feared, to the ground.

Anna reached around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, revealing her back to him fully.

"Mein Got!" Klink breathed, his heart stopping altogether.

Blood-red scabs crisscrossed her back. Far more and in too much regularity to be attributed to any accidental fall.

She turned slowly, her head down as she lifted her hair.

What should have been a vision of beauty made his stomach turn. Burn marks marred her chest, and a bandage covered what he could only imagine was a grievous wound on her side.

She let her hair fall, the flaxen strands cascading over the swell of her breast and obscuring the wounds once more.

"_What happened to you?"_ Klink asked, already dreading that he knew the answer. She had been tortured. Recently. By whom or for what he did not know, but he had his suspicions. He longed for her to prove him wrong. To give him some excuse, any excuse, so that he might return to blissful ignorance.

Anything but what he now dreaded to hear.

"_The Gestapo,"_ she said quietly.

His knees went weak and he stumbled back, catching himself on the arm of the couch.

The Gestapo had tortured her, his Anna. But that meant she was a traitor or a spy. Either way, innocent or guilty, she would be his undoing.

Once the Gestapo found out he'd helped, he'd harbored, a…

"Got, nein," Klink rasped, "_Tell me you are not the prisoner they are searching for!"_

"_I am,"_ she said, her voice heavy with despair, "_But please listen. I… I will not say I am innocent."_

Klink's hand clenched around the couch's arm, his knuckles white.

"_I did not do anything directly, but I knew…" _she took a shuddering breath, "_I knew my brother was involved with the underground. He would not tell me names or let me join him. He wanted to keep me safe," _she laughed derisively, "_As if anyone is safe in Germany!" _her voice dropped, "_And then they came for him. And me. They took us back to their headquarters and…" _

She wrapped her arms around herself, waving on her feet.

"_They questioned him unmercifully. When he would not talk they used me to…" _she stopped and swallowed, "_He did not break. Even when they killed him," _she whispered. She looked up at Klink, her eyes full of fire.

"_I would not, will not, tell them even the little I know. To do so would dishonor his memory! But they did not want information from me,"_ she said, her voice shaking, this time in anger, "_The soldier in charge, Herr VanHausen, wanted me for his own pleasures."_

Klink swallowed back nausea, unable to produce words even if he had known what to say.

"_That is how I escaped,"_ she finished, "_He took me to his car, to 'interrogate me privately'. I got away… Then you found me. You helped me. And now, I am asking you to help me one last time," _she said, standing straight and tall.

Klink's head spun. She was a Gestapo prisoner. It was his duty to turn her in. She was an innocent woman, dragged into a situation by her brother. She might be a spy, twisting her story to obtain his mercy. She was the woman he'd fallen in love with the moment he'd seen her. She'd lied to him from the first time she spoke.

"_What would you have me do?"_ Klink asked, his voice trembling.

Anna fell to her knees before him.

"_Kill me," _she entreated, "_Before the Gestapo comes."_

"Nein!" Klink said immediately, horrified at the thought.

"_You must," _she begged, "_You will get a medal for it, no doubt! All you have to say is that you discovered I was the prisoner they were looking for. When you confronted me, I ran and you shot me trying to escape."_

From out of her pocket she pulled his spare gun, the one he kept at his bedside in case of a riot during the night. She slid it across the floor towards him.

"_I tried to do it myself,"_ she said, her voice shaking, "_But I was too weak."_

She looked up at him, her eyes hopeless and frightened.

"_If you feel anything for me, please, kill me."_

Klink kneeled and picked up the gun, staying on his knees before her. The weapon was cold and heavy in his hand. She lowered her eyes, unable to look at death face on, despite her plea.

"_I cannot kill you,"_ Klink said at last, "_And I cannot help you escape."_

She shuddered, what little hope she had unraveling before her eyes.

"_I am a loyal officer," _Klink said and her heart fell.

His voice lowered to less than a whisper.

"_I do not know anyone in the underground that can help you to escape. I do not even know who I could bribe."_

The helplessness in his voice made her look up, meeting his anguished blue eyes; the gun falling forgotten on the floor.

"_What can we do?"_ he asked, his voice cracking from the strain.

With a sort of sobbing half-laugh, Anna fell forwards, into his arms.

"_Wilhelm, you are a good man," _she said, kissing him gently, "_I will do everything I can to protect you when the Gestapo comes for me. All you have to do is act surprised," _she said softly, her fingers tracing his jaw line as she swallowed back tears.

"_You can think of nothing, then?"_ Klink asked hopelessly.

"_Nothing," _she answered, "_Except saving you from my fate," _her eyes widened and her hand tightened around his arm, "_The medic, you must protect him also. He only lied because I begged him to!"_

Klink's eyes widened. Of course Wilson would have seen the wounds and known they did not come from a fall. And he'd lied for her, a German woman? But why?

"_What did you tell him?"_ Klink asked, his voice gruff. She had trusted a prisoner, the enemy, instead of him? Is that why she seemed so infatuated by the Englander, because he knew her secret and protected her from the big, bad Kommandant?

"_Nothing,"_ Anna said sadly, "_I told no one, to protect them as much as I could. Except for you, now," _she looked away and sighed, "_I should not have told you either. Now you cannot honestly say you were ignorant of what I was. I have put you in danger," _she looked up at him, "_I'm sorry."_

Klink looked down at her. She had trusted him. Only him. And she still did; telling him that one of his prisoners had lied and counting on him to keep the man out of trouble.

This was an enemy of the Fatherland? This was an underground agent? A traitor? A spy? A woman concerned for not herself but for those around her, so much so that she did not dare reveal herself to even those that would have done their best to help her?

Klink was not the fool he pretended to be. He knew that Hogan and the rest had schemes and plots. They had ways of getting people in and out of the camp, right under the guards' noses. But as long as they kept his perfect record intact and were not caught, Klink ignored them. Let them think he was an idiot.

He did his best to protect them. He had no desire for his country to turn into Hitler's vision; a country where evil and power dominated, where women and children were murdered. Yes, he was a loyal soldier; to his country, but not to Hitler. Anything Hogan and his men did to stop Hitler was good for Germany, so he assumed his persona of stupidity. So much so that he sometimes forgot it was only a persona.

But tonight he could no longer play the ostrich, with his head buried in the sand. Tonight he would have to take a chance and reveal some of his knowledge.

Tonight he would ask for Hogan's help.


	12. We passed the setting sun

**Chapter 12: We passed the setting sun**

Schultz was worried.

The Kommandant was normally not a man who scared him. At least, not much. Sure, a few times he had lost his temper and threatened to send him to the Russian Front, but he'd never actually followed through on the threat.

Now, he was frightened. Not for himself, but for the woman. Klink was angry and afraid, and Schultz didn't know why. All he knew is that Klink had ordered Hogan to be brought to his quarters.

But it was what he'd seen in the background that had upset him the most. Earlier in the day Schultz had been upset by the Kommandant's rough handling of the woman and her pale complexion. But now, now he had glimpsed her on her knees, her shirt torn from her body; the long plaits of her hair the only thing covering her nakedness as she knelt on the floor.

Schultz pushed himself faster. He didn't know why the Kommandant suddenly wanted to see Colonel Hogan, but he was grateful. After what he'd caught sight of, he knew the Colonel was going to pay the Kommandant a visit- invited or not. It was better that Colonel Hogan did not get shot attempting to help the woman- though at this point Schultz did not think he would stop the Colonel from shooting the Kommandant.

"Colonel Hogan!" Schultz said, bursting in the barracks door.

The prisoners looked ready to complain at the interruption, after all it was still half an hour to lights out, but one glance at Schultz's face kept them silent.

"He's done something," Newkirk said softly, his voice despairing. He knew they had moved too slowly. And now it was too late. Klink had done something to her. Killed her, or worse. He'd just sat by and let the bloody Kraut…

Hogan came out of his room and gathered the worried, hopeless faces in one swipe of his eyes.

"What's happened, Schultz?" he asked, his voice hard. It was always difficult to stand by when you could do something, but to have it come to a head so soon was unexpected.

"The Kommandant wants to see you," Schultz said, his voice lowering as he continued, "He's very upset. And the woman…" he trailed off and shook his head, "I saw her… On her knees. Her shirt was…" he couldn't complete the sentence, his eyes closing as he swallowed.

"Sacre bleu," LeBeau hissed, "That dirty, filthy, Bosch! Il doit etre roti comme un cochon a la broche! And served with an apple in his mouth!"

"Please, Colonel Hogan, now you will do something?" Schultz pleaded.

Hogan nodded, his brow furrowed.

"I'm coming with you," Newkirk said, standing and moving next to Schultz.

Hogan looked at him, noting the stubborn stance and the flash in his eyes. Newkirk was going to confront Klink, one way or another.

"You don't do anything until I give the order. Is that clear?" Hogan said sternly.

"Crystal, Gov'nor," Newkirk said, nodding sharply.

Hogan set his jaw but nodded.

"Okay," he said, looking towards the rest of the men, "If anything goes wrong I want you to stay here. Don't, I repeat don't, try to help us. Kinch will be in charge and you'll follow his orders. Understood?"

The men agreed, though LeBeau muttered under his breath before giving a reluctant nod.

"What are you going to do, Colonel?" Carter asked softly, his eyes wide in concern.

"I'll know that when I get there," Hogan said, giving him a half-smile.

"Situation normal, then," Newkirk snarked, his constant shifting belaying his relaxed words.

"Come on," Hogan said ignoring the comment and moving to the door, "We don't want to keep the Kommandant waiting."

The three men marched through the compound, the darkness hiding the disquieted expressions on their faces.

As they neared the Kommandant's quarters, their countenance darkened. They could hear an argument, Klink's strident voice carrying.

"No!" he shouted, "I cannot! I will not!"

There was a sharp slapping sound and they heard Anna cry out- a yelp of surprise and pain.

Newkirk flung open the door, Hogan at his heels. Schultz entered shortly after, shutting the door quickly as he surveyed the scene.

Anna was on the floor, her hand covering the left side of her face. Klink stood over her, his riding crop gripped tightly in his hand.

Almost before Klink could turn, Newkirk was upon him. The Englishman had Klink up against the wall, his hidden knife pulled from between his shoulder blades and pressed against the Kraut's neck. Klink's hands were wrapped around his forearm, barely keeping the irate prisoner from slicing his throat.

"Newkirk!" Hogan ordered, kneeling next to Anna. Newkirk didn't look away, glaring at Klink with a snarl on his face, but he did lock his arm in place- just millimeters away from Klink's vulnerable jugular.

"_Are you okay_?" Hogan asked Anna, helping her stand.

"_I'm fine_," she answered quickly, her eyes on Newkirk and Klink, _"Peter, let him go!" _she demanded, wincing and covering her red face once again at the movement.

"_He hurt you_," Newkirk snarled, "_I won't let him hurt you anymore_!"

Klink's eyes widened but he wisely remained silent, his eyes flicking to Schultz's unmoving form in the doorway. The guard's glare was nearly as venomous as the Englander's, and Klink knew he would not come to his rescue.

"_He didn't_," Anna denied, moving closer to the men, "_It was my fault. I…"_

"Don't!" Newkirk said angrily, "_Don't go defending him. I know what he's done to you!"_

Her eyes flashed and Hogan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"_What he's done to me?"_ she growled, "_What he's done for me, you mean? He saved me, and he is trying to save me still, if you will only release him!"_

Newkirk blinked at her in surprise.

"Now, Peter! Let. Him. Go!" she said, her English coming through loud and clear.

With a sigh of frustration, Newkirk released the Kommandant, letting the man fall to the ground as he tried to catch the breath he had been holding the whole time.

Anna knelt by his side, her arm around his shoulders.

"_Wilhelm, are you alright?"_ she asked in quiet concern, surprising the three men who had come to rescue her.

"_I'm alright,"_ Klink said as together they rose to their feet, "_Are you sure you are fine?" _he asked, his fingers gently brushing the reddened side of her face.

"_It will be a spectacular bruise,"_ she said with a light laugh, turning to kiss his palm.

Newkirk's jaw dropped.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" he asked loudly, bring the couple back to the present with a jolt.

Klink looked down at Anna, seeming to have a conversation in silence.

"Anna needs your help," Klink said finally, looking at Hogan, "The Gestapo are coming for her, the day after tomorrow."

"Cor," Newkirk muttered, looking ill. So, it was the Gestapo that had tortured Anna. But why would they be coming for her now? It had been days since she'd been found.

"Did you tell them she was here, you rat?" Newkirk growled, taking a step towards Klink. Anna moved to intercept him, but Klink held her back, his chin tipping up as he answered coolly.

"If I had, would I be asking for your help?"

"What do you think we can do?" Hogan asked, finally stepping in to defuse the situation, "We are just prisoners, after all."

Klink laughed dryly, shaking his head.

"Hogan, you and your men have more freedom than I do!"

Hogan and Newkirk exchanged a puzzled look before Hogan opened his mouth to deny the accusation.

"Don't bother," Klink said with a sigh, "I'm not as stupid as I act. I have known what you were doing for some time now. But I can no longer afford to play the fool. I need your help."

"What do you want?" Hogan asked cautiously, admitting nothing. This was getting more and more suspicious. If she really was a Gestapo agent, and she'd talked Klink into pretending to know about the organization…

"I want you to help Anna escape. Get her out of Germany," Klink said, his expression taught.

"Nein, Wilhelm," Anna whispered, "_If they help me escape, it will go badly for you. You will lose your record. You might lose your life. If they discover the woman you helped was me…"_

_"It is my life to risk," _Klink responded softly, ignoring the astonished men, "_I will not allow you to die needlessly. Not when I can help you."_

_"_We can't get her out," Hogan interrupted.

"What are you talking about?" Klink growled, "Of course you can! You've done it many times before."

"She's hurt," Hogan said, gesturing to her feet and the way she clung to Klink just to remain standing, "Do you really think she can make it out of Germany like that?"

"I don't care what you have to do," Klink said, "Carry her to England! Just get her out of here!"

"I volunteer, Colonel," Newkirk said, a serious expression on his face.

"No!" Hogan stated, "I won't risk it."

"They'll kill her!" Newkirk protested.

"They'll do worse than kill her," Klink said bitterly, refusing to look down at Anna, "The Gestapo agent in charge wants her for his own. And now that she's escaped once…"

"Ach du lieber!" Schultz said, shaking his head.

Hogan sighed and shook his head.

"I wish you'd told me all this earlier. If I'd had time, I might have been able to come up with something. But now…" he started to pace, his hand on his chin.

"Hogan," Klink said, but Newkirk interrupted him.

"Quiet," he said sharply, "He's thinking."

Klink glared at the Englander but fell silent, watching anxiously as Hogan paced the length of his quarters.

Finally, Hogan looked up and met Klink's eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, in private?" he asked.

Klink nodded and gestured towards the bedroom, reluctantly leaving Anna to Newkirk's care.

"What is it, Hogan?" Klink asked as he shut the door to the bedroom behind them.

"Do you love her?" Hogan asked without preamble.

"What?" Klink gasped, his monocle falling from his eye. He caught it and placed it back, taking the time to collect his thoughts.

"You heard me," Hogan said softly, "Do you love her? I mean, really? Like till death do you part?"

"I… I…" Klink stuttered, sitting heavily on the bed, "Yes," he whispered, "I am a fool, but I do," he looked up at Hogan, "But what good does it do me? If you help her to escape, I will never see her again. If you do not, she will die… or worse. Either way I lose, but at least she will be alive, somewhere, if only you agree to get her out!"

"Like I said, Kommandant, I can't help her escape. But," Hogan said, holding up a finger to cut off Klink's argument, "I do have a plan."

"What? I'll do anything!" Klink said, rising excitedly.

Hogan chuckled, shaking his head.

"You may regret that statement."


	13. Or rather, he passed us

**Chapter 13:** **Or rather, he passed us**

"Anna," Newkirk said, helping her over to the couch as Colonel Hogan took the Kommandant into the bedroom, "_What's going on here? Is Klink…" _he trailed off, gesturing towards her face and bruised wrists, "_hurting you?" _

At first she looked puzzled, and then a complex array of emotions flickered across her face. Finally, she smiled sadly at him

"_No, Peter. Wilhelm didn't, hasn't, hurt me,"_ she said quietly, taking his hand, "_And I can't ask you to risk your life for me," _she cut him off when he started to protest, "_Peter, if you died… I couldn't bear it," _she turned her head, taking the handkerchief Schultz surreptitiously passed her.

"_What's going on?"_ Newkirk asked, "_Why do they want you?"_

"_My brother worked with the underground,"_ Anna said simply.

"Aw, Darlin'," Newkirk said sympathetically, "_And you're guilty by relation."_

"Ja," she said with a sigh, "_I asked Wilhelm to… But he wouldn't," _she said angrily, "_If he'd just do as I ask, you would all be safe!"_

"_What did you ask?" _Newkirk queried, puzzled. If she had a plan, why hadn't Klink told them? How bad could it be?

"_She asked me to kill her,"_ Klink said heavily, his presence startling Newkirk to stand before his words even penetrated.

"You did what?" Newkirk exclaimed, his eyes wide as Anna stood and grabbed his arm.

"_Peter, don't you understand? It is the only way to keep you safe!" _Anna pled, "_I told you, I couldn't bear to see you dead. I couldn't!"_

Newkirk shuddered and paled. Sure, he was prepared to lay his life down if it meant protecting his friends… But to ask to be killed, that was a whole other level.

"_You would rather see me in the hands of the Gestapo?" _she whispered, "_And you and Colonel Hogan and Wilhelm all dead? And for what? Who am I?"_

"_No," _Newkirk said, "_That is the last choice; when all other options have failed."_

"_What other options are there?"_ Anna asked hopelessly, "_You have already said an escape cannot be made."_

"_Marry me," _Klink said, interrupting their argument.

"_What?_" Newkirk and Anna asked, turning towards him in surprise.

Klink knelt and held up a small diamond ring.

"_Anna Lehrgeld, will you marry me?"_

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Newkirk asked, his voice rising as he looked from the Kommandant to his Colonel.

"_As the Kommandant's wife she will have a new name. Combine that with a few physical changes and a couple other ideas and you have the perfect disguise. An entirely new identity," _Hogan explained softly.

"Anna?" Klink asked anxiously, his eyes locked on the mystified woman before him.

"_I…_"she responded slowly, "_I will," _she said, throwing a glance over at Newkirk's pained expression.

Klink noted it but stayed silent, rising to his feet and slipping the ring on her finger as he kissed the back of her hand.

"Now, Hogan," Klink said, reluctantly releasing Anna's hand, "How will this work on such short notice?"

"Yeah," Newkirk interjected, "Don't marriages require a justice of the peace and a license and witnesses or somethin'? And how will we get out of here to do any of that?"

"Details," Hogan said, waving his hand, "Since Kommandant Klink will give us a ride into town, getting past the guards is no problem. Once we get to Hammelburg, I can call in a favor with the justice of the peace and get a license put together in a few minutes, backdated a couple of weeks, of course," Hogan said with a grin.

"Backdated?" Klink asked, puzzled.

"Of course," Hogan said smoothly, "You two have been married, quietly, for a couple of weeks before she moved in here. She was unexpectedly taken ill and is just recovering."

"And that'll stop them from asking too many questions!" Newkirk agreed, nodding.

"Exactly," Hogan said, "Schultz, bring the car around."

"Jawhol," Schultz said, saluting and then looking sheepishly towards Klink before bustling out the door.

"Now, Kommandant, while I get a few things together, you get your papers," Hogan said.

"What about Anna? She has no papers," Klink said worriedly, a bit overwhelmed by how fast this was all moving.

"She will by the time we leave," Hogan said confidently, moving towards the door.

"_Peter, wait!"_ Anna spoke up as the prisoners were about to leave. She'd stayed silent, trying to piece together what was going on. But she had to know one thing, "_You will be coming with us?"_

Newkirk smiled at her, his eyes softening.

"Of course, Love," he said gently, "_I wouldn't let you get married without me."_

She nodded in relief, some of the tension leaving her face.

Klink sighed quietly.

He loved her. He was risking everything for her. But she, apparently, did not feel the same for him. He did not know what draw the Englander had for her, but he had to find out before he married her. Whatever the answer, he would not stop the wedding, but at least he would know. He had to know.

With that thought, Klink left Anna sitting on the couch and strode out the door, calling out quietly.

"Newkirk! One moment," Klink said, surprising the two men as they crossed the compound, deep in conversation.

Newkirk glanced back at Hogan, who nodded impatiently.

"Whatever it is, hurry. I need your help," Hogan said.

Newkirk nodded in acknowledgement and loped over to Klink.

"What?" Newkirk snapped, still not pleased with the turn of events.

"Why does Anna want you with us?" Klink asked, cutting to the chase.

"What difference does it make?" Newkirk countered, his eyes narrowed.

"None," Klink said softly, looking down. After a moment, he raised his head and glared at Newkirk, "No, it makes a great deal of difference. But whatever your answer, the plan will proceed."

Newkirk frowned. He didn't like the tone in Klink's voice. It reminded him of men going into battle and preparing to not return; a sort of determined hopelessness.

"I remind her of Kristof," Newkirk said shortly, not willing to reveal any more to the Kraut.

It seemed to be enough.

Klink's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"I see," he whispered, "Thank you for telling me. You may go." Klink turned away, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

Newkirk rolled his eyes and ran towards the barracks. There was a lot to do if he wanted Anna safe.

Klink stood, staring at the weathered wood wall of his quarters.

The Englander reminded Anna of Kristof. It explained so much. Klink could feel his heart slowly tearing down the middle, the pain taking his breath away. Kristof, the dead man he could never replace… but Newkirk could.

He resolved then that he would see this marriage for what it was- a smokescreen. A sham. Taping his heart together with determination to at least provide the best protection he could for her, but not love because she could not love him in return, Klink took a deep breath and entered his quarters.

-000-

The journey to Hammelburg was made in silence. Newkirk worked frantically to attach the snapshot they'd taken of Anna to the fake papers and make them look as authentic as possible.

As they pulled up outside the home of the justice of the peace, Hogan turned around from the front passenger seat and looked at them.

Klink was pale but determined. Newkirk looked faintly ill. Anna… Anna was impossible to read. All expression was missing from her face, her clenched hands pale as she sat properly between the two men.

"_Your maiden name will be Anna L. Schmitt," _Hogan said,_ "That way if anyone digs around into your past, they won't find anything right away."_

"Ja," Anna said softly.

"Kommandant, if you'll come with me we'll get the ball rolling," Hogan said as they exited the vehicle.

Klink reluctantly followed Hogan, and Newkirk sighed in relief when they disappeared inside.

"Cor, I thought he'd never leave," Newkirk muttered, "_Anna, are you sure you want to marry Klink?"_ he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders, "_I mean, I know the plan calls for it, but if you don't want to…"_

"_I'm afraid, Peter," _Anna said, not meeting his eyes, "_I am putting you all in danger. It isn't right."_

"_Shh," _Newkirk comforted, pulling her into a hug, "_That's enough of that, now. We want to help you. Kristof would want us to help you."_

Anna chuckled and hugged him tightly.

"_Yes, he would insist on it," _she said, "_Thank you, Peter."_

Anna leaned back and kissed his cheek, making him blush.

"_We're ready," _Klink said softly, surprising them.

They broke the embrace and Anna smoothed out her dress before going inside. Klink and Newkirk exchanged a glance as they entered the home. Newkirk's was distrustful; Klink's resentful.

To say they were an odd wedding party was an understatement: Two prisoners and a guard as witnesses, a bride who was sporting the first blush of bruising on her cheek and could barely stand, and the Kommandant of a Luftstalag in full regalia.

Johann Heinemann, justice of the peace for the town of Hammelburg for the past 25 years, sighed and shook his head. If he hadn't been working with the underground for the last year and had known that Papa Bear was absolutely trustworthy, he would have never had agreed to this.

As it was, the wedding process seemed painful to all involved.

"_Oberst Wilhelm Klink,_ _do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"_

Klink seemed to waver on his feet, as pale as the woman he was about to marry. Johann had seen many men faint during their wedding and feared Klink would join them. The Kommandant seemed to rally, however, and looked over at his wife-to-be with an expression of despairing adoration.

"_I do," _he said quietly.

"_Anna Lehrgeld Schmitt, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"_

Unlike most brides Johann had met, this woman seemed preternaturally composed. Her obviously frail health did not appear to deter her in the least. She stood straight and poised next to her husband-to-be. With a deep breath and a determined nod, she answered.

"_I do."_

"_Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,"_ Johann said, watching as the Kommandant took her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Great!" Hogan interrupted, "_Thank you for all your help, Johann."_

"_No problem," _Johann said, shaking his hand_, "It is always a pleasure to help you."_

Johann shook his head as the group trailed out of his home. Whatever was going on, it was best he didn't know too much.

The ride back to the Stalag was as silent as the way out. Newkirk and Klink refused to look at each other. Anna sat primly between them, lost in her own thoughts. Hogan was busy planning for the Gestapo's arrival and Schultz was concentrating on the winding roads.

As they entered the gates, Hogan finally spoke.

"_Get some rest. We'll get started right after morning roll call."_

Klink glanced down at his watch and winced at the time. They had just a few hours until roll call. He suddenly felt the weight of the day fall on him, his shoulders slumping.

Helping Anna out of the car, Klink escorted her to the bedroom, nearly asleep on his feet. As she went into the bathroom to change, he barely managed to remove his overcoat before stumbling over to his cot and falling asleep.

Anna came out of the restroom, her thin nightgown fluttering around her as she drew close to Klink. She smiled gently and covered him with his blanket before returning to her bed.


End file.
